The Charge

One's cool, one's hot! One's busty, the other's…not!

The Case

Slayers is a comic fantasy series in which a pair of female
magic-wielding adventurers seek out magic, gold, and glory. The show has always
been a spry mix of silly humor and light action that comes off as either goofy
or endearing, depending on your tolerance for these sort of shows. The televised
series was always solid, and it has built a rabid fan base both here and in
Japan where it originally aired. The best thing about Slayers is the
simplicity. No need to worry that you missed back story or convoluted plot
lines, because they rarely exist. The show exists simply to put a smile on your
face and kill some time.

ADV has released a Slayers Movie Box, which assembles all five
"movie" adventures of the Slayers into one convenient box set.
It's a great way to get all the OAVs (original animation videos) in a beautiful
box, but these are direct ports of the initial releases. If you've been
collecting these titles as they have been released, there's no need to
double-dip. The only difference is the packaging, which is a nifty
shelf-space-saving slimline presentation. All the same extras are included, and
it looks like the transfers are the same in quality.

The discs include:

• Slayers: The Motion Picture The mist-shrouded,
mysterious island of Mipross hasn't been viewed by men for hundreds of years.
Two sorceresses decide it's time to pierce the island's veil. So begins the
adventures of short in stature and temper Lina Inverse and her busty traveling
companion Naga the Serpent. They're about to run up against a Dreamweaver (no
fair singing the song in your head!), and will be ensnared in a barrage of
phantom dragons, amphibious demons, and the promise of
aesthetic…um…enhancement.

• Slayers: Return Lina and Naga start to help rid a
village of villains, but soon realize their magic isn't working. Someone has a
new elf-made weapon, and a grand design for world domination. Can the girls find
a way to stop them?

• Slayers: Great Lina and Naga pose for a feuding
father-and-son team who make golems (large statues that move by remote control).
Little do the girls know that the evil lords Haizen and Granion have big plans
for how to use them. Lina finds herself in a bind when she has to save herself
from Naga while, at the same time, she tries to keep tyranny at bay.

• Slayers: Gorgeous An evil creature that has been
locked away since the "Demon Wars" suddenly returns for revenge. Lina
and Naga must face the monster and take on Marlene, Mistress of the Dragons.

• Slayers: Premium Lina Inverse is teamed up this
time with Gourry Gabriev; they are hanging out by the sea, catching some much
needed rest and relaxation. But when they find out all the seafood they've been
eating has been cursed, the girls must brave the perils of the deep to find out
who's out to hex humanity.

So what's the deal with calling these "movies," huh? The longest
is about an hour and fifteen minutes, and the shortest clocks in at barely
thirty minutes. The bulk of them are not even an hour long. Most of these
features were straight-to-video affairs in Japan, and were never released
theatrically. They were quickly made to cash in on a popular television series,
and as such they aren't always up to the same quality as the show's proper run.
Some fans have criticized these OAVs harshly, but they have quite a bit of
charm.

ADV has done solid work with this set, and it represents their commitment to
the series well. The transfers have vivid colors, although there is some grain
and a little edge enhancement. The English dubs are almost on par with the
original Japanese recordings; voice actress Cynthia Martinez carries the bulk of
the material quite well as Lina. Fans of the series may be shocked to hear her
take on the character, after Lisa Ortiz had done some work on early releases of
the series. Cynthia makes Lina sound a little younger, and embodies the goofy
spirit of the show quite well. She's an adroit comedienne, and I hope ADV can
find more roles in other projects to utilize her trademark high voice. The
English dubs have much more active soundfields than the Japanese tracks.

If you're a fan of the series, and you've held off buying the
"movies," here's your chance. Newbies need not worry if they haven't
seen the show before; the set offers a good introduction to the world of
Slayers. The Slayers Movie Box makes for a giggly good time at an
affordable price. It's a sound investment for anime fans who groove on comedy
adventure.